What’s At the Top of Your Wish List?

December 18, 2013

Just like you can ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the latest McLaren or Bugatti, there are electronics out there that are works of art in their own right, creating an experience at home that rivals—or even exceeds—the real thing. We’ve compiled a list of the top-six drool–worthy items on our own list. Whether you love movies or music, or just appreciate the finer things in life, there’s something here for everyone.

#1: Go Big or Go Home with an 4K Ultra HD TV or Projector4K, otherwise known as Ultra HD, is currently the very best picture quality available to the consumer, with resolution four times that of HDTV. Yes, it looks amazing. To really enjoy the benefits of this increased resolution, you need to watch 4K on a big screen. There are 4K projectors now available that allow you to create a big screen cinematic experience in your own home. We guarantee you’ll be impressed!

#2: Get Unparalleled Detail with a Precision TurntableNothing digital can really beat the musical quality of a good, old-fashioned turntable, provided you get the right model. Listening to your favorite artists on a turntable, you’ll notice warmth and details you’ve never heard before. You may even realize that you’ve had the lyrics wrong all these years. We’ve seen turntables cost as much as $28,000, with promises of total elimination of troublesome sonic aberrations, but you can get a precision turntable that is far less costly but still sounds incredible.

#3: Optimize Digital Music with a DACDon’t want to go analog? Then we suggest a great digital-to-analog converter, which will have a similar effect on musical detail as a turntable by converting digital music to analog. Digital-to-analog converters come in all shapes and sizes these days, with some even plugging into your computers USB port. Others are standalone components. Whatever you opt for, opting for a DAC in general is a wise idea that will garner you far more enjoyment from your digital music collection.

#4: 7.1 (or Greater!) Sound SystemLess is sometimes more, but in the case of speakers, more is usually more. That’s why the minimum for home theater audio is a 5.1 system (five speakers and a subwoofer). Add on back left and right channels for a 7.1 channel system, and the action gets even more immersive. Throw in another subwoofer to eliminate standing waves (an acoustic anomaly introduced by using only one subwoofer) and you’re rocking with a 7.2 system. Some serious home theaters use four subwoofers for the ultimate in low-frequency room response. Add three more channels for a 10.2 system—a format created by the founder of THX®—for a truly impressive surround-sound experience. Alas, 10.2 is more of a concept found in commercial IMAX® theaters, though there are some residential 10.2 receivers on the market. Whether you choose five, seven or even 10 speakers one thing is certain, you are sure to impress friends!

#5: Gorgeous Freestanding SpeakersWhile all the wireless wonders and all–in–one solutions sound great and are wonderful design solutions, traditional floor-standing tower speakers make a dramatic statement in your home or home theater and sound unbelievable—especially if you take our advice in #4. Finishes are available in everything from cherry to glossy piano black to custom colors—like Ferrari red.

#6: Serve It Up with ClassMedia players, like Apple TV and Roku®, are the center of attention right now due to the convenience of downloading movies from the Internet at will. However, there is a certain pride of ownership in having your own collection of Blu-ray discs, or—even better—having them stored and accessible via a high–end movie server like the new Kaleidescape Cinema One. Some of the latest models have cool features like upgrading your current DVDs to Blu-ray for a small fee. The carefully engineered user interfaces and ability to tie into a home-automation system are other bonuses.

If you’re interested in any of these elegant solutions, call for a demo or to learn more…or simply drop by to marvel at the art of technology firsthand!